Amit Shah defends anti-terror law; Congress cries foul in Lok Sabha

Lashing out at the Congress in Lok Sabha, Union home minister Amit Shah said that the NDA government had not found any flaws while amending the anti-terror laws

New Delhi: Home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday (July 24) defended amendments to an anti-terror law, claiming that they are essential to keep law enforcement agencies a step ahead of terrorists.

Responding to a debate in the Lok Sabha on a bill seeking to amend the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), he asserted anti-terror laws would not be misused and would be used only to root out terrorism.

He said that provision in UAPA (amendment) bill, which was later passed in the Lower House by a voice vote, to designate a person suspected to have terror links as a terrorist is necessary to root out terror.

Hitting out at the Congress for opposing the amendment, he said if the UPA was correct in amending anti-terror laws in their tenure, then so is the NDA.

He said, in the name of ideology, some people promote urban Maoism, and the government has no sympathy towards them.

The government fights terrorism, and it should not matter which party is in power, Shah said, referring to amendments made in anti-terror laws by successive governments.

During a division of votes, it was demanded by AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi for consideration of the bill, as many as 287 MPs supported it and only eight opposed it.

Huge numbers also defeated amendments brought in by some opposition members during the division of votes.

When the AIMIM member insisted on a division of votes over amendments, Speaker Om Birla quoted rule to say that he could ask the members supporting or opposing them to stand up for counting, if he feels it appropriate.

In his speech, Shah lashed out at people behind urban Maoism, a term used by the BJP and its ideological allies for those it blames for supporting Maoists and said the government had no sympathy for them.

Left-wing violence was initially considered an ideological and gullible people were misguided to kill others, he said.

"The only purpose of this law is to root out terrorism.

We will ensure that this law is not misused," he said.

The Congress under the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had brought in UAPA, he said, targeting the opposition party, whose members earlier questioned the rationale behind the law.

Radical preachers are propagating the ideology of hate and terrorism, Shah said, claiming that terrorism is born out of a person's mindset and is not about institutions.